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Space Studies Board
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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 18, 2004 Current Operating Status
On NASA Mars Sample-Return Mission Options
Appendix
SAMPLE-RETURN OPTIONS PRESENTED TO COMPLEX
The mission options presented to COMPLEX by NASA were primarily calendars of
spacecraft launches and sample-recovery dates. The payloads, capabilities, and
specific scientific objectives were mostly undefined. Similarly, terms such as "long-
range rover," "sophisticated rover," and "robotic field geologist" were used as
placeholders by NASA to represent various mobility systems under consideration.
Baseline Option
The baseline option is consistent with NASA's current scientific goals (studies of
past life, climate change, and "resources") and budgetary constraints
(approximately $150 million per year, including launch vehicles and operations) of
the Mars Surveyor program. In this option, Mars Surveyor proceeds as currently
defined, with two launches per opportunity, through 1999. Launches at subsequent
opportunities include the following:
2001. An orbiter with a copy of Mars Observer's Gamma Ray
q
Spectrometer (GRS) to complete the global remote-sensing program
scheduled to be initiated by Mars Global Surveyor in 1997. An additional
instrument, currently undefined, will gather data to assist in landing-site
selection.
2003. A lander, with an inert payload of approximately 700 kg to simulate
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the mass of a sample-return vehicle. No rover or scientific instruments
will be carried unless resources from outside the Mars Surveyor program
are identified.
2004. Sample-return vehicle No. 1 will return approximately 0.1 kg of
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martian material to Earth in 2008. The samples (including rocks, soil, and
atmosphere) will be collected in the immediate vicinity of the landing site
by a short-range rover. A contingency "grab" sample (atmosphere and
soil) is an option.
2006. Long-range rover No. 1 to gather and cache samples for later
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